Self-starter for internal-combustion engines.



W. D. LUTZ.

SELF STARTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 8, I913.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII 5 mm W601,

Patented July 27, 1915.

33:1 flttouwa matically only shall automatically release UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM D. LUTZ, OF ALLENDALE BOROUGH, NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2'7, 1915.

Application filed October 8, 1913. Serial No. 794,182.

To all whom it may concern:

Bt it known that 1, WILLIAM D. LU'rz, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Allendale, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful'lmprovement in Self-Starters for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

In a copending'application filed by the present applicant on October 8, 1913, Serial No. 794,181 is shown and described a start: ing device for internal combustion engines in which, upon operation of an auxiliary electric starting motor suitable clutch elements are automatically brought into operative relation to each other by mechanical devices, to transmit the power of this auxil iary motor to the internal combustion engine to be started, to rotate the crankshaft of the latter until it .is operated under the power of the internal combustion engine.

In the present invention, the clutch elements are brought into operativeengage ment with each other through the energization of an electromagnetic coil, whereupon the power of similar in all respects to the starting motor shown inthe'appllcation above referred to, is transmitted to thecrank shaft of the internal combustion engine to be started'to'rotatejthe crank shaft thereof for the purpose pointed out above.

The principal object of the. present invention is to provide in combination with an auxiliary starting motor and its control system, electromagnetic devices, operative mitoafter the starting motor has attained a predetermined. speed, to bring suitable clutch members into operative engagement with each other, one of the clutch members being driven by the auxiliary motor and the-other clutch member being fixed to the crank shaft of the internal combustion engine, whereby the rotary movement of the auxiliary motoris transmitted to said crank shaft.

A further object is to provide in-combina tion with such electromagnetic clutch con-v trolling devices, means whereby upon operation of the internal combustign motor under its own power, the electromagnetic devices the clutch memhere to disengage the starting motor from the crank shaft of the internal combustion motor.

These and further objects will appear an auxiliary starting motor,

more fully hereinafter, reference now being had to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, for a detailed description thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic View of the electrical control system showing the auxiliary starting motor and the electromagneticcoil; Fig. 2 is a view partly in section and partly in side elevation of a motor car equipped with the improved starting devices, the electrical connections being shown somewhat diagrammatically.

The control system shown in Fig. 1 is, as pointed out before,-substantially similar to the system shown in the co-pending application above referred to, except in certain respects to be pointed out hereinafter, comprising a storage battery (1, or other available source of power, connected through leads a a a 0?, to the starting motor I) and the electromagnetic coil 0, the starting motor and the coil being connected in series and the circuit being controlled by a switch at carrying a contact a to cotiperate with a contact a to which the leads a and (1. are secured, respectively. The lead a is passed around a magnetizable core 6 mounted. to control the position of the switch (1 whereby the latter may be moved to bring the contacts .a? and a. in engagement to .close the circuit of the starting motor I). 'Otlier leads a and a; are connected to the battery and have their circuit controlled by a push button switch 7 mounted within convenient reachof the operator, so that the circuit may be closed and the core 6 energized through the lead a which also passes around it, to move the switch 655 so as to bring the contacts a and a. in engagement and close the circuit of the starting motor I).

In addition to the circuits described, a third circuit may be provided by which the core e may be demagnetized. This circuit comprises, in addition to the lead a, another lead a which may be placed in electrical ,connection therewith, at the will of the operator, through a suitable push'button switch The lead a, it is to be noted, is passed around the core 6 with windings reversed to the windings of the leads a and a so that its action is to demagnetize the core 6 and release the switch whereby the contacts a and a are moved out of engagement with each other and the circuit of the starting motor I) is broken.

Reference is now to be had to Fig. 2 in which the control system, the starting motor '6 and the magnetic coil 0, illustrated in Fig.

1, are shown as applied to a motor car it. This motor car is adapted to be propelled by an internal combustion motor i having a crank shaft 70 extended forwardly therefrom, and arranged to be rotated manually by a hand crank Z connectible therewith through cooperating ratchet teeth 7: l In accordance with the present invention provision is made .for rotating the crank shaft is initially by the auxiliary starting motor 5, which may rotate, through a pinion b carried on its armature,- and an intermeshing gear m formed on the outer periphery of a rotatable female clutch member m a cooperating male clutch member 70 splined slidably onto the crankshaft k of the internal combustion engine 2'. The female clutch member m rotates freely on the crank shaft is through a ball bearing support a. Further, it is recessed internally to support the annular electromagnetic coil 0 which may be in constant connection with. the circuit of the storage battery a, through collector rings 0. The male clutch member 70 is held normally with its conical flange if out of engagement with the correspondingly tapered inner face m which, as usual, may be faced with a suitable frictional'strip m, by means of a spiral spring disposed operatively between the two clutch members.

In operation, with the internal combustion motor 2' at rest, the operator may initiate the starting devices from his seat by closing the push button switch 7". The core 6 is then magnetized and the switch d drawn into contact'therewith, thus bringing the contacts a and a into engagement and closing the circuit of the starting motor 6. Immcdiatelythereupon the magnetization of the core e is maintained by the winding of the lead a, so that the switch 7 may be released to open its circuit, the switch at and core 0 then forming a self holding switch. While the coil 0 is magnetized upon the starting of the motor 6, its action is somewhat sluggish as regards the motor, so that the latter is permitted to reach an appreciable speed before the male clutch member is", under the action of the energized coil 0 is drawn against the spring 0 into snug frictional engagement with the female clutch member m to transmit rotary movement thereof to the engine crank shaft 1?. v i I As soon as the crank shaft Z0 is rotated under the power of the internal combustion engine a, the motor Z) is relieved of its load and the current in its circuit accordingly decreases appreciably. Indeed, if the speed of rotation of the crank shaft fl) is sufficiently high, the motor I) may be driven momentarily thereby and thus neutralize entirely the voltage of the stora attery a.

At all events, this decrease in current in the circuit of the motor 6, and likewise in the coil 0, is suiiicient to permit the spring 0 to overcome the magnetic action of the coil and'slide the clutch member out of engagement with the clutch member m In addition, this decrease in current through the winding of the lead res'ultsin the switch d being released from the magnetic core e so that the contacts a and a are disengaged to break the circuit of the motor I) and automatically stop the operation of the motor.

In case the internal combustion engine 2' does not operate under, its own power, after rotation of the crank shaft is, in the manner described, the operatormay break the circuit of the motor 6 by operating the push button switch 9, thus decnergizing the core 6 by reason of the reverse windings of the lead it. Since this lead completes its circuit to the battery a through the contacts a and a, not only will the operation of the motor 5 be stopped by closing the switch 9, but the circuit in which is the lead a will be broken automatically, thus guarding completely against the waste of electrical power from the battery it.

Modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, but all rearrangements of the controlling system and substitutions of mechanical equivalents are to be deemed within the spirit of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: 7

1. In an electric motor starter for internal combustion engines, the combination of a motor a shaft'to transmit the power of the motor to the crank shaft of the engine, a magnetic clutch associated with the shaft to turn the same, an electric motor to drive one of the parts of the clutch, a source of current su ply for the motor and the clutch, and a clrcuit therefor, a self holding switch in the said circuit and electromagnetic means in the same circuit automatically to operate the self holding switch.

2. In an electric motor starter for internal combustion engines, the combination of an electric motor, an electromagnetic clutch carrying a magnetizable coil and adapted to connect together the motor and engine, a. source of current supply for the 'motor and coil, a circuit therefor, an automatically operable self holding switch in the circuit, and a magnet to close the switch.

3. In an electric motor starter for internal combustion engines, the combination of an electric motor, an clcctronmgnctic clutch carrying a magnetizable coil and adapted to connect together the motor and engine, a source of current supply for the motor and coil, a circuit therefor, an auiomenses maticelly operable self holding swimh in the circuit, an electromagnet to closethe switch and a self restoring switch to close the circuit of the electromagnet.

4:. Irish electric motor starter for'internel combustion engines, the combination of an electric motor, an electromagnetic clutch carrying a magnetizable coil and adapted to connect together the motor and engine, a source of current'supply for. the motor and coil, "a, circuit therefor, an automatically operable self-holding switch in the circuit,

on electromagnet to close the switch, a, selfrestoring' switch to close the circuit of the electromagnet, an additional circuit, at megnetizable coil therein, and a self restoring switch to close the said. circuit to permit the self-holding switch to open. 3

,5. In an electric motor starting apperatus, an electric motor, a wurce of current supply for the motor, a magnet winding having a core, a circuit including the windmg, the motor and the source of current supply, a switch in thecircuit held closed close and open the same, one to supply current to magnetize the core to close the switch in the current supply motor circuit, the other to open the said switch.

In testimony whereof, I have signed myname to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM B. LUTZ.

Witnesses: 4

JAMES G. Bnr Emmsr L. GALE, r. 

